


Angle of Approach

by clantail (ideallyqualia)



Series: Granblue Fantasy [2]
Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Universe, F/F, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 05:43:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9869435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/clantail
Summary: Djeeta welcomes Apollonia as a temporary crew member.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the main story. Set in chapter 32. I’m still playing so I have no idea what’s ahead; don’t spoil me.

No one approached Apollonia as they walked through the enforcers' headquarters. At the moment they were allies, forced together in the same goal of rescuing Orchis, but they weren't friends. At best they were dubious acquaintances.

Djeeta didn't think she could side with Eugen on this one. Everyone gave their opinions about the familial strain between them, but Djeeta personally believed that a child is nowhere near at fault for anything that happens from a parent. Both of them avoided the subject and explanation, and without the facts, Djeeta couldn't believe anything else.

Djeeta walked quietly at the head of the group. No matter what, Apollonia needed to travel with them, and she and Eugen had to accept each other for the time being.

After a few rounds of battles, they slipped into a corridor to rest for a breath. Apollonia approached Djeeta.

"I don't acknowledge you as a leader, but I want to know what your strategy is. You asked about my strategy earlier and seemed unimpressed that I don't have one."

Djeeta linked her hands together and cracked them by stretching her arms out. Her harp rested carefully against the wall next to her feet. "You mean, about getting out of here? I uh, I don't have any, I'm agreeing with what you said."

"That's not what I meant." Apollonia glanced at the harp. "You lead your crew's battles, but I don't notice any strategy in them."

Djeeta picked up her harp. Apollonia used to maintain control over virtually all of the Erste Empire, implying tactical experience, so if she doubted Djeeta's skill, then either she disapproved of her that much, or Djeeta was such a genius that Apollonia couldn't figure it out. Djeeta doubted that it was because of ingenuity.

"Before your arrest, did you personally lead battles like this?"

"Yes. Sometimes no one else could do the job, so I handled small task forces. Why do you ask?"

Djeeta lightly strummed on the harp. "Were you always a knight?"

Apollonia narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, 'always'?"

"Were you ever a lancer? Ranger? Archer?"

"No." Apollonia's eyes shifted. They didn't move to gauge something somewhere else, they changed, still on Djeeta but flickering with darker depth. The intensity sent a swoop into Djeeta's stomach.

"I switch classes all the time. Some of them are stronger than others, and some of them depend on the situation." Djeeta's mouth went dry. She didn't have a strong intimidating voice to begin with, and now she felt the beginnings of weakening willingness. Instead of fading quieter or fumbling, she turned inward, thinking and pausing. "More importantly, though, you know how hard it is to make a strategy on the fly, right? Do you make some in advance?"

"Yes."

"I do too. And they change with classes." Djeeta drew on one long strum and stopped. "There's a lot of enforcers and imperial soldiers here, and it's pointless to attack them all at once when they appear in groups. Removing their usefulness is better. Charm them, blind them, leave them poisoned on the side, and then move on to focus on someone else. I'm not running away."

Apollonia made a thoughtful noise, almost a hum but not as warm or resonant. "Oh. I see."

Djeeta shifted the harp to hold against her waist, and she rubbed her neck. "I guess Cagliostro's rubbing off on me. She's a little...sadistic," Djeeta admitted. "But she taught me to really go at it with enemies. And I like making them useless, it makes moment to moment survival easier. Cagliostro'd want them dead, though, and that's too much."

"Have you ever killed someone?" Apollonia asked.

Djeeta's hand slipped and almost dropped her harp. "No."

Apollonia almost-hummed again. "Normally I'd say you shouldn't hope you'll stay that way for long, but I think you stand to find a middle ground."

"O-oh. Thanks."

"You're probably too emotionally fragile to handle it, anyway." Apollonia eyed Djeeta.

"You already think I'm too emotional?"

"Anyone who's this attached to their teammates is too emotional. You're also too trusting. You trusted me quickly, and your crew followed." Apollonia shrugged. "But between a soldier and a skyfarer, that'll play out differently. You know how to keep them alive, and I suppose that's what's important in a skyfaring crew." Apollonia raised an eyebrow. "I didn't expect you to have cutting steel in any strategy, though."

"That's because support magic is deceptively helpful. Stacking them makes them powerful. There's more to brute force than literal physical force, you know." Djeeta turned her harp in her hands. "After this, I'll probably change to something else."

"Why?"

"I want to test out everything possible before I make any solid plans. I'll need to test weapons, too." Djeeta picked at the harp strings. Now, she had nothing left to say.

"I spent years learning to use a sword. I can't say anything about your harp playing, but if you dabble in everything, I doubt you can use a sword as well as I can, or handle it with exact and proper technique. The same goes for anything you pursue. Jack of all trades, and master of none." Apollonia's eyes closed in a slow blink. "Still, if you can do all that, you're very resourceful. You're...interesting."

"Thank you...?" Djeeta asked. She watched Apollonia lift her sword.

"We should get a move on."

"Right." Djeeta approached everyone else, and at her appearance, the group came to a natural active state again.

They moved through halls and buildings on their way to the Grandcypher. Monika and Lecia stopped them.

"I'll ask you again, Djeeta. Turn her over," Monika said.

"No."

Lecia grumbled. "She got to them! Black Knight, I know you're strong and versatile, but managing to seduce even an upstanding citizen like Djeeta to your side...!"

"She didn't _trick_ us, she told us the situation and we decided to follow," Djeeta said.

"She tricked you," Lecia disagreed.

Djeeta turned to her crew. "There's nothing we can do. Get ready to fight. I'll handle Monika. You guys attack Lecia."

"Did I hear that? You think you can handle me _alone_?" Monika asked. "She's gotten to your ego, too!"

Djeeta pointed at Monika. "Poison her," she told Rosetta.

"With pleasure." Rosetta called a whip of thorns to her aid and hit Monika, battering her skin with shallow cuts.

"That's enough." Djeeta adjusted her harp and strummed a song of blinding. Rosetta flitted away to strike Lecia.

"Ugh!" Monika swatted her sword through the air. "Can't you play fair and square?"

"If you're stronger than me and in your home advantage, then that isn't fair, either." Djeeta stepped out of range of her sword and worked a song of angelic voice instead, a song of charming. Monika slowed and blinked blearily.

Charm affected everyone differently, but the end result was the same. Monika reacted with red watery eyes already compromised by being blinded, and her movements became slower and clumsier, unable to connect them and play them off each other the way an experienced sword user could.

Djeeta returned to Lecia and joined in attacking her, sending strikes of music from her harp. They won without needing any help from Apollonia.

"I see you pull your own weight," Apollonia said to Lyria after they turned to run. "But why did you summon a primal beast with Djeeta?"

Lyria stumbled. "Uh..."

"We don't have time to talk." Djeeta helped Rackam open the ship for boarding, and everyone rushed inside. Rackam turned on the engine and flew off in no time.

The usual spirited atmosphere grew thick and tense. Apollonia stood by herself on deck as everyone else came into a vague group together in front of her.

"Your crew leader's competent, so let's get going," Apollonia said. "We have to get to Mephorash."

"Fine," Rackam said. He retreated to handle the course.

Apollonia made to walk away as well. Djeeta skipped to catch up.

"Wait, you need a guest room for a while! Let me show you to one separate from everyone else."

Apollonia sighed. "You sense the tension too. I don't care about being uncomfortable, so I don't need a room."

"It's for my crew's comfort," Djeeta said, fading to a mumble.

Apollonia laughed. "I should've expected that. Some of them glared daggers."

They lapsed into silence in the short walk. Djeeta opened the door to the room. "If you need anything, Apollonia, let me know."

Apollonia stiffened. "Why're you calling me that?"

Djeeta scratched at her ear. "Oh. Sorry. I like your real name instead of 'Black Knight.' I call you that in my head when I think."

"Is that so..." Apollonia glanced around the room. "Do whatever you like. I'm in your care for the time being."

Djeeta's hand reached into the air after her, hung uselessly, and then returned to her side. "I'll be on deck for a while." She closed the door and slipped out.

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


End file.
